Laminate reducers generally attach to the subfloor and lay over, but not on, the laminate itself. You need something that will butt into the 3/4" wood and overlap the laminate. My preference would be to undercut/rabbet a reducer using a table saw or a router table. Let's say the laminate is 3/8" thick. Set the table saw so the blade sticks up 3/8". Look at the 3/4" reducer and determine how far back you want the undercut to go and set the saw guide accordingly. Run the reducer through the saw repeatedly, with the 3/4" side toward the guide, moving the guide further from the blade after each pass. Once you end up with what looks something like a bit of an L, sand or cut the sharp edge that will overlap the laminate and put some finish on it. Install it at the laminate edge then cut your wood pieces to it tight as you install the floor. Another way to achieve the same thing would be to make a 3/4" wide thin cardboard template. Draw the profile of your stock reducer on the cardboard then cut it out using scissors. Trim it to look like the L I described but with a slight flat spot on the edge that will overlap the laminate and see how it fits. Using the table saw, cut the edge that will overlap the laminate, set the saw and cut the horizontal cut with the reducer standing vertically, flat edge against the saw guide, laminate edge side down, then make the one vertical cut with the reducer oriented horizontally, 3/4" thick edge against the saw guide. You can always practice on a scrap to make sure you won't ruin your reducer. Respect you table saw!. It can take a chunk out of you or toss something back at you if you get it crooked or try to force it. Basically what you're trying to make is a T mold that is only undercut on one side and butts up to the 3/4" thick floor. Sort of like this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YHKQYNC4L._AA300_.jpg Of course this one would be flipped over so the recess would overlap the laminate.

Have you considered white cabinets with gray countertops, in the lighter range? You chose gray paint, so that might be a good option, and if it's too much of a good thing, repainting the walls is easy. The floors in this pic might not be as dark as yours, but I think it would work. google search-gray countertops I usually look at everything from a DIY, budget-conscious point of view. With that in mind, you might check out resurfacing the tile tops with a concrete product, and then paint the cabinets, even though you don't like the wood grain. With a little extra effort you can make them look smoother, or as I did, embrace the grain. This will cost only a few hundred dollars, and will give you more time to consider a full remodel. If you sell the house before remodeling, the new owner can gut it and put in his own idea of a dream kitchen. Concrete over existing counters Painting oak cabinets

I did both. I was taught by an installer how to flush cut the flooring to butt up against the tile, which did have an edge strip, with a 1/16th (I think, it’s been almost 2 years) gap and silicone caulk. I hated it because the flooring is matte and I couldn’t find a caulk that wasn’t shiny so it left an obvious shiny line between the tile and the laminate flooring. I replaced it with a transition strip. I do remember messing with the strip to making it as flush as possible between the two different floorings, I think we had to modify the metal piece inside or route one side deeper. keep in mind all of this was DIY and with proper planning by a pro installer the different floor levels are taken into account. I changed my mind and decided to tile the powder room when the flooring was already in. Also, in this scenario the ends are supposed to be sealed and caulked beneath the transition strip in a powder room application, even if it isn’t “wet,” like with a shower or bathtub. That was so deep in the specifications for the flooring we almost missed it. I did not use a transition strip by the front door. I intended to, just to be cautious since we spanned a greater distance, but I hated how the strip looked. Next to the threshold the caulk is invisible, even though it’s shiny. We were pressed on time and budget because it was a new home without any closet shelves, garage storage, or landscaping. The idea of replacing the carpet that was falling apart (after less than a year) with more of the same carpet by the builder was discouraging to me, so we really couldn’t do anything differently. But in a more predictable world, if I could have wrangled a couple thousand more, I have done a simple, not engineered, hardwood and installed it ourselves. The laminate has not had any issues at all as far as buckling or drifting. It’s on our main floor and the only place with an issue is where my kids drop ice cubes on the floor in the same spot and don’t pick them up. There isn’t any swelling or peeling but there is a thin line where you can see the composite is a different color. This is not in an area with a long span. The LVP with equivalent numbers of pieces were 2-3 times as expensive.

A dark floor in a home with low ceilings will make the space look smaller and darker. This isn't a bad thing if you are looking for snug and cozy. If you are looking for bright and airy, you will be working with a natural finish. It is all dependent on what you are trying to do with your space. You will want to sit down and ask yourself, "Am I looking for a small English Country Cottage with beams so low that I can knock myself unconscious, or am I looking to recreate an artist's loft with oodles of light and space?" There are many people who LOVE the feel of a small cozy home. There are others who wouldn't be caught dead in one. It is all a matter of perspective. What is your perspective?